disc brakes

[SheFly]

They add more weight. At the professional cyclocross level, for that reason, you see a lot of riders reticent to use disk brakes. There is also the risk of injuries, as disks can cut someone easily in a crash (which is why many pro road racers don't want them). If you do not intend to race, I would say than it depends on where you ride. The one occasion I wished I had hydraulic disk brakes was on a 4 mile twisty descent on gravel, with grades over -5% -- I was on my cross bike with cantilever brakes. I would feel the same on a wet descent on my road bike, but I am rarely in that spot (long, twisty, descent on wet roads). My next road bike would have hydraulic brakes (not disk). And I wish there were hydraulic canti brakes... Don't know about maintenance of disk brakes.

Note -- How much weight do the add? From VeloNews: "Discs will add somewhere between 250 and 750 grams, depending on the component choices made."

My racing CX bikes at the moment, both with mechanical disc brakes (Cannondale SuperX carbon frames with carbon wheels) weigh the SAME as my Cannondale Evo carbon road bike with traditional canti lever brakes. The weight argument stopped holding water a couple of years ago. (FWIW - all three bikes are running the same components outside of the brakes). I race CX a LOT, and many of the pros are racing with discs now. Yes, there is the potential for injury in a crash, but there is with cantilever brakes as well (ever missed a remount and gotten caught in the brakes?).

I also use my CX pit bike (same setup) for the gravel road riding/racing that I do, and feel so much better with the stopping power of the disc brakes. Typically, I am riding areas with a lot of elevation, and knowing I can stop when I need to is a huge asset. I will also NEVER race CX or MTB without discs again. In fact, I am looking to move to discs on the road as well.

The only application where I would look to the hydraulics vs. mechanicals right now is on my fat bike.

All that said, I ride A LOT, and in all conditions, so the discs make sense for me.

SheFly

[pll]

(ever missed a remount and gotten caught in the brakes?)

I realized this could happen and then it did. Very unpleasant, big, big bruise and a couple of abrasions. I was trying to remount more aggressively than my skills allow.

[SheFly]

I realized this could happen and then it did. Very unpleasant, big, big bruise and a couple of abrasions. I was trying to remount more aggressively than my skills allow.

Oh - YIKES! I've done this, too, and it HURTS. Now imagine doing it and you are of a different gender... I know of one guy who did that and got himself, um, stuck.

SheFly